Planning your wedding in BaliI : tips on how to make the perfect day

With it’s relaxed atmosphere and dreamy landscapes, Bali is top on the list of the world’s best romantic destinations. It is no surprise therefore, that many couples from all around the world select Bali as the number one choice to enjoy their ideal wedding. From stunning cliff top ceremonies to beachfront weddings on pure white sand beaches, Bali offers a huge variety of options for couples wishing to tie the knot. It all sounds amazing right? But where do you even start to organise such an important event? Arranging a wedding in your own country is hard enough, but to organise it on a tropical island is mind boggling. This is when a good wedding planner comes in very handy! Search ‘Bali Wedding’ on Google and you will find reams of companies that offer you ‘a wedding that will make your dreams come true’, but how do you even begin to select who you will trust enough to arrange your big day? It’s a tricky one, so we decided to get some tips from one of the most experienced wedding organisers in Bali, The Seven Agency. They gave us a list of watch outs when selecting your dream team.

Experience

Check the level of experience of the company as whole and of the person who is helping you directly. Experience counts for a lot when it comes to event organising and wedding planning in Bali. The knowledge that comes from someone being based in Bali, who has already experienced every eventuality first hand, is priceless. They can help to pre-empt most outcomes and give you informed advice based on real experience and direct feedback from previous clients. Bali is a pretty laid back island and sometimes unpredictable when it comes to weather, climate and traffic so it is important to use a wedding planner that can help you to know what to expect and how to prepare for all possible outcomes. It is also very useful to be aware of the cultural and religious ceremonies taking place so you can plan the date and the day accordingly. Check websites for experience and see if you can find testimonials from other couples. The Seven Agency has organised over 2,500 weddings in Bali over the past few years so they are a pretty good benchmark.

Good network of suppliers

Experience is one thing but if the planner has a weak network of contacts he is about as useful as a chocolate teapot. So the next big thing to check is what kind of relationship they have with their suppliers. How do they select their partners? Have they used them long? Do they have different vendors and partners that can accommodate your requirements? Check who they use for decorations, florists, catering providers, photographers and makeup artists. Any wedding planner should be able to openly and honestly share information about who they are using for your big day so don’t be afraid to ask, the shouldn’t have anything to hide. Look on the planner’s website for a page talking about their suppliers like this.

Do they speak your language?

Having a planner that takes the time to really understand you, your background, personality and most importantly, wants and desires for your big day, is as important as having the supplier and partners locally based and with an in-depth knowledge of all things Bali. So it is vital that the planner speaks your language, not only literally but culturally too. A planner that understands and embraces your culture and traditions will make life a lot easier when you are explaining how you want things to flow on your big day. Make sure that the team at the top convey the same expectation of high quality that you will need to ensure your day runs exactly how you planned.

Who is behind the emails?

As well as checking who is at the top, you should also have a good idea of who you are dealing with day to day. With some planners it might just be a small team of one or two people which may offer you a personalised service, but the quality of that service may fluctuate depending on how many weddings they have on their plate! If you can find an agency that offers a good balance between personal service and enough members of the team to ensure solid consistent delivery, then you have hit the jackpot. With one of the largest in-house teams in Bali, The Seven Agency also provides regular training so each member is highly motivated and genuinely wants you to enjoy not only your big day, which is clearly the most important day ever, but also the process of planning it.

Can they really give you what you want?

Every couple is unique and has their own individual take on what they want from their special day. So finding a planner who can provide you with a wide selection of options to choose from can help you to tailor make your big day so that it fits neatly with what you want (and have probably dreamed of since you were a little girl!). No one wants a cookie cutter wedding and you shouldn’t be pushed into an inflexible package that will leave you wanting. This is your special day so don’t compromise! It is really useful to know what is available and what packages you can choose, but once you have your basic idea, your wedding planner should be able to style it according to your taste. Some planners even have in-house professional stylists who can really get in your head and bring to life your vision, pretty impressive! The Seven Agency provides several options for styling services that can really help you to simplify the process and make the daunting prospect of wedding planning fun.

Who else thinks they are good?

One of the most influential factors in a person’s decision making process when selecting goods and services are the reviews from people with first hand experience. This has become such a powerful form of marketing that businesses can rise or crumble based on customer reviews alone. Take some time to read all about the good, the bad and the ugly of your chosen planner so you have a balanced view of what to expect. It is also worth checking to see if they have been selected by any big established brands to become an exclusive in-house wedding planner. If a reputable brand name endorses the company you can feel pretty confident that they will deliver the goods. The Seven Agency is a good example of this, they were carefully selected from thousands of wedding planners worldwide to organise wedding events for Club Med’s direct clients and guests at their resorts in the Maldives and in Bali.

Do they also offer Honeymoons?

Although not essential, it can make a difference if the planner also offers honeymoons, or is able to connect you with the right people to sort out your big romantic break. The Seven Holiday is a sister company of The Seven Agency and it specialises in romantic journeys with the firm belief that honeymoons should be different from ordinary holidays. And so they should! This is the beginning of a whole new life together so every moment should be sprinkled with romance. They must have some extremely romantic people on their team because the unique packages that they craft for each lucky couple look divine!

There are so many things to consider when planning your wedding and honeymoon, it’s so much more than ‘just a day’ right? Look out for a planner that understands romance, with genuine experience and who recognises that every bride is utterly unique, therefore every wedding experience should be one of a kind. Being offered an array of options packaged in a way that makes it easy to choose, by a team that speaks your language and understands your preferences because they take the time to get to know you, is what will make the process a whole lot easier. And if the same supplier can also deal with your honeymoon, offering the same level of options, quality and special touches to your honeymoon, you can sit back and relax knowing you have all the boxes ticked . What a way to begin your amazing journey together!